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I need my non-Orthodox friends to know that those rab- bis do not speak for me, nor do they speak for my rabbinic orga- nization, the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest Orthodox rabbinic group, comprising more than 1,000 rabbis. Nor do they speak for the Rabbinical Coun- cil's lay counterpart, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congrega- tions of America. So who does this Union of Or- thodox Rabbis speak for? They speak for themselves, and no one's quite sure who they them- selves are. All that we can know for sure is that their proposed proclamation has given all Or- thodox Jews a bad name and serves absolutely no useful pur- pose. Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg is spiritual leader of Beth Tfiloh Congregation, Stevenson, Md. Really, what did they hope to achieve? Did they really think that Conservative and Reform Jews would now leave their syn- agogues and join Orthodox ones because of this proclamation? Is there anyone anywhere who did just that? The only thing the proclamation accomplishes is to publicly insult Reform and Con- servative Jews and their religious beliefs. I, as an Orthodox rabbi, com- mitted to Halachah, or Jewish law, admittedly do not accept those practices of the non-Or- thodox movements that I believe contravene halachic standards. But I would never dare attempt to de-legitimize these move- ments. On the contrary, I firm- ly accept the stance that Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm established. As the president of Yeshiva Uni- versity, my alma mater, which ordains the greatest number of Orthodox rabbis, he states: "If non-Orthodox Jews are sincere and they believe in God and if they endeavor to carry out the consequences of their faith in a consistent manner — then they are religious people." They cer- tainly are! It was the sainted first Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ray A.Y. Kook, who explained how it was possible for him to develop such a close relationship with secu- lar Jews: "In a world that is filled with so much sinat chi- nam, hatred for the Jew with no reason, we must counteract it with ahavat chinam, love for every Jew, even when there is no reason." ❑ c=\